Nintendo purchases the Baten Kaitos and Xenosaga developer from Bandai-Namco.

In a sudden move, Nintendo has purchased a controlling share in developer Monolith Soft, the firm responsible for the popular Xenosaga and Baten Kaitos series, from Bandai-Namco. As of today, Nintendo holds an 80% stake in the developer. While Bandai-Namco will retain a small stake in the company, for all intents and purposes this solidifies the RPG developer as an official Nintendo second-party.

Monolith Soft is currently working on the Wii-exclusive Disaster: Day of Crisis, a largely mysterious title currently slated for release later this year. Renown for their work on more serious RPG fare, it will be interesting to see what Nintendo has in planned for their new acquisition. If nothing else, it would seem that the move is a reassuring sign for the more hardcore Nintendo gamer that has watched their favorite company's development focus diversify in recent years.